Domesticity
by BloodRedEnd
Summary: Sequel of sorts to Damaged and Fixed. Mostly a collection of little moments in Harry's and Severus' lives now that they have a family to take care of. HPSS Slash, Mpreg
1. Chapter 1

Alright everyone, here's the deal with this story. It's not really a story, per say, in that it probably won't have a solid plot. It's more of a collection of seqels/side stories to go along with my other story,Damaged, and the seqel Fixed. I'm not sure how often this will be updated, most likely whenever I get bored of my other stories. Feel free to leave a request for something you want to see in this story, either by leaving a review or messaging me.I might not get to all of your requests, but i'll try.

This first chapter is forLady Foxy Roxy who wanted to see Harry leaving Severus to take care of the baby and having a hard time with it. I'm not sure if this is exactly what you wanted, though, becauseI have a hard time seeing Severus as incompetent, but here's what came out.

Disclaimer - Harry Potter and all releated characters and paraphernalia are the property of J.K. Rowling and her publishing companies. Ella, however, belongs to me.

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"Are you sure you'll be fine?" Harry asked.

"I am not completely incompetent when it comes to taking care of children, especially my own daughter." Severus answered with a sneer. Harry smiled and bent down to place a kiss on his daughter's forehead.

"I know, I just worry. But I can't get out of this ministry thing. I'll be back as soon as possible tonight." Harry said.

"So you've said before. Go on, get going. Your public awaits." Severus said.

"Git." Harry said, leaning in to kiss Severus. "See you tonight." He said, apparating away.

"We'll show him, won't we Ella?" Severus said to his daughter, Eleanor (Ella for short), as he turned and headed back up to the house from the apparation point. She gurgled happily, her bright green eyes focused intently on her father. She reached up with one tiny fist and grabbed a lock of Severus' hair and pulled at it, attempting to put it in her mouth.

"No, Ella." Severus said gently, pulling his hair away from her. She frowned a bit and pulled another fist full of hair, laughing and tugging on it. Severus sighed and took it away again, attempting to tuck it behind his ear. It just fell forward again, and Ella grabbed it, giggling and shoving it in her mouth, looking up innocently at her father.

"Imp." Severus said, pulling the slightly drool-covered hair out of her mouth and setting her down on the sofa for a moment, conjuring up a hair tie and pulling his hair into a loose ponytail. Ella watched him as always. She was an unusually perceptive child, always watching what was going on around her with intelligent green eyes. Severus loved to see those eyes with such a childish innocence in them, rather than the jaded, sometimes haunted look of his husband's eyes.

"So, what shall we do with our day?" He asked, picking Ella back up. She gurgled at him a bit and shoved her thumb in her mouth. "The playroom it is, then." Severus said, smiling at the baby. She giggled and clapped. She loved it when her usually stern father smiled. An owl was pecking at the window of Ella's nursery when they arrived. Severus set her down carefully in her crib for a moment, moving to the window to receive the letter. It was another request for a potion. With a wave of his wand he sent it off to his desk. By this time, Eleanor had decided that her father wasn't paying enough attention to her and began to cry.

"You're just like your daddy, an attention seeker." he said, picking her up and holding her against his shoulder so she could look around. Her tears slowly stopped as Severus began to rock and bounce her a bit. The tears were soon replaced with giggles again as she reached for Severus' hair. Severus sighed and pulled her away from his shoulder, placing her on a blanket beneath one of her favorite toys.

The toy was a brightly colored arch that Ella laid beneath, and there were several brightly colored objects hanging from strings - shapes and animals and a few shiny things. She could easily reach everything with her hands and feet. Since it was also a wizarding toy instead of a muggle one, it made all sorts of sounds and lights when Ella touched different things. There was even a small stuffed lion that came to life and roared.

Deciding Ella was content for the moment, Severus summoned a stack of parchment to himself and began writing out replies to the letters he had received. It was mostly basic things such as quoting prices for this potion and that potion, requests for more complex potions and even some simple ones, and other questions concerning the potions he made.

Before he had realized much time had passed, Ella was crying again and an odor was filling the room. Sighing, Severus picked her up and placed her on the changing table. He changed her diaper with ease - being a potion master, he had dealt with things far more disgusting and smelly. He reached for the talcum powder, frowning when it didn't come out. He realized that he had to turn the top to open up the holes because Harry insisted on using a plastic muggle bottle. Turning the bottle over, it still didn't come out, so he gave it a squeeze. He scowled when a huge puff of powder burst out of the bottle, covering both himself and Ella with white power.

Ella sneezed and looked up at her father with tears in her eyes. Severus scowled at the white powder and the infernal muggle contraption. He sighed as Ella began to cry, and decided now was as good a time for a bath as any. A cleansing spell got rid of the powder covering both himself and the room, but it would be better to give Ella a bath. It was not good to use magic directly on a child regularly until their own magic had developed and begun manifesting itself by way of accidental magic. He carried the sneezing child into the adjacent bathroom, filling the special baby bathtub with water.

"It's okay Ella, just a bit of powder." Severus soothed as she continued crying and sneezing. He carefully washed off all traces of the powder, supporting her body with one hand so she wouldn't lay down in the water. He was more careful with the tiny little body than he was with the most volatile of potions. Slowly the tears stopped and soon she was splashing in the water a bit.

"You are too similar to your Daddy. You both enjoy bathing far too much." Severus said, amusement in his voice, as he pulled her out of the water and wrapped her in a large fluffy towel. She babbled as Severus laid her down on the changing table again, being much more careful with the talcum powder this time. At last he had her diaper on properly and dressed in clean clothing as well. It was only a few moments of happy gurgling until she started crying again, however.

"What is it this time?" Severus sighed. Ella just cried louder. He glanced at the clock on the wall and noticed it was noon time. "I suppose you're hungry then, Imp." Severus said. Picking her up he went down to the dinning room, calling a house elf to bring him some lunch for himself and a bottle for Ella.

Cradling Ella in his arms, he carefully fed her, ignoring his own hunger for the moment. He was always very cautious with his child. She was just so small, she seemed so delicate. That, and he never wanted her to know the pain and suffering of his and Harry's own childhoods. He usually let Harry take care of Ella for the most part, afraid that he might lose his infamously short temper and yell at her. Taking care of her by himself for a whole day was nerve-wracking, but he knew he had to do it. Eleanor wasn't as delicate as he believed her to be, and it would probably hurt her more in the long run if he was distant with her for fear of hurting her.

Placing Ella over his shoulder to burp her, he scowled when she spit up on his robes. Preferring not to use a cleansing charm for the second time that day, he returned to the wing of the manor that held his bedroom and Ella's nursery, placing his daughter in the center of the large bed. Not letting her out of his sight, he removed his outer robes and shirt, replacing them with slightly more casual clothing.

"Am I allowed to eat yet, Imp?" Severus asked. Ella gave a sleepy gurgle, her eyes slipping closed. Severus gave her a small smile and picked her up to bring her to her crib. Big mistake. She immediately began crying, loud and high-pitched. Severus winced as the sound assaulted his ears. He began to rock her a bit, trying to calm her down.

"Please be quiet, Baby." Severus said when the crying wouldn't stop. After nearly ten minutes he was getting desperate and began to bounce her up and down, making funny noises like Harry did, feeling quite ridiculous. He felt less ridiculous when the crying slowly stopped, however. At last it stopped all together and Ella was asleep again. Carefully, as if she was more delicate than glass, Severus eased Ella out of his arms and into her crib. She stirred slightly once, but didn't wake. Severus breathed a sigh of relief, going back into his bedroom and fairly collapsing onto the bed.

After a moment of blessed silence, Severus summoned a potion to him. The crying had given him a killer headache. He downed the potion quickly, standing up and making his way back to the kitchen. He ate a quick lunch before returning upstairs, deciding to get some rest while Ella was down.

After a couple hours of napping, Severus brought Ella back to her playroom, where she was content for a few more hours. As time dragged on, though, it became harder and harder for Severus to keep her entertained. She would play with a toy for a little bit, then get fussy and lose interest. The playroom was covered with discarded toys. Severus had even tried reading to her, which usually calmed her right down.

Severus was beginning to feel a bit guilty for letting Harry take care of Ella most of the time. He hadn't realized how tiring it was watching over a baby twenty-four seven. Severus tended to escape to his laboratory often. Harry had claimed that he wanted to take care of Ella, but Severus was sure that his help would be much appreciated. He wouldn't be distant with his baby girl anymore.

"You miss Daddy too, don't you?" Severus asked the slightly teary-eyed girl. She gave a small gurgle and a whimper, curling one tiny fist in Severus' robes. Severus gave her a wry smile and brought her back to the kitchen as it was dinner time. It took much longer for Severus to get her to eat this time. She was as stubborn as both of her fathers, even as a baby.

At last it was her bed-time, and Severus was desperately trying to get Ella to go to sleep. He had tried everything to calm her crying. Whenever she would calm down, he would put her in her crib and the tears would start all over again. At last, in desperation, Severus set a ward around his and Harry's bed and laid down with Ella. It was only a matter of minutes before she drifted off to sleep, one tiny hand clinging to Severus robes. Not wanting to disturb her and renew the crying, Severus let himself drift off to sleep as well

Harry returned to the house a little while later, mentally exhausted from the long, boring ministry event he'd had to attend. He passed by the dinning room, noticing that what looked like Severus' dinner was still sitting on the table, almost completely untouched. The next room he passed was the playroom, which was in complete disarray.

Stopping in Ella's nursery, he frowned when he found the baby missing from her crib. Worrying just a tiny bit, Harry poked his head into his and Severus' bedroom. He smiled at what he found there. Ella was curled up in Severus' arms, looking quite adorable. Harry slipped silently into the room, stripping off his stuffy dress robes and pulling on an old muggle t-shirt along with his boxers. Leaning over the bed he placed a kiss on Severus' forehead, gently removing Ella from his arms.

"Ella?" Severus said groggily.

"Go back to sleep Severus. I'm just going to put Ella in her crib." Harry said.

"Don't wake her." Severus said, a yawn interrupting his words.

"Don't worry." Harry said with a bemused smile. Cradling Ella close to him, he carried her into the other room. Smiling down at the sleeping baby, Harry kissed her cheek and placed her in her crib, tucking a blanket around her. He watched her for a few moments before returning to his room. As he slipped into the bed, Severus wrapped his arms around him.

"Busy day?" Harry asked.

"No busier than your days have been since we had Ella. Remind me of this day next time I try to escape to my lab when Ella's fussy." Severus said. Harry smiled and pressed a kiss to his husband's lips. "How was your day?" Severus asked.

"Long, boring, and extremely tedious." Harry answered.

"About what I expected." Severus said. Harry sighed slightly, laying his head on Severus' shoulder. Severus placed a kiss on the head of messy hair tucked beneath his chin. Silence fell over the room as the two men drifted off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

This chapter is for TheSilverbow, who wanted to see Severus' and Harry's reaction to Ella getting mildly sick.

Also, some people have said that they want to see Ella in Hogwarts. Right now, I'm sticking to Ella's childhood, I'd like to make this at least slightly linear. I'm not sure if I'll get to Ella in Hogwarts even, and if I do, I might make it a separate story. So for now, it would be awesome if you could give me ideas for things you want to see in Ella's childhood. I'm also almost positive that i will be introducing more children soon.

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Harry groaned slightly as he woke up to the sound of crying. Ella hadn't been waking them up in the middle of the night for some time now. She was almost two years old, and a beautiful little girl. Her hair was jet black like both of her father's, but luckily straight and shiny like Severus' hair, and not greasy. Her eyes were large and brilliant green like Harry's, and shone with an innocent, beautiful light.

Now, however, as Harry walked into the nursery, Ella's eyes were bloodshot and tear-filled, and her face was a bright red as she tossed restlessly. Worrying ever so slightly, Harry scooped the toddler up into his arms.

"What's wrong Ella?" he asked.

"Hot, Daddy. Don't feel nice." she sniffed in a tiny voice, pressing her face against her father's chest. Harry gently moved her head a bit so he could feel her forehead. It was burning up, and Ella clung to his hand as it was obviously cooler than she was. Harry sighed slightly and walked into the bathroom, grabbing a flannel and soaking it in cold water. Going back to the nursery, he laid her carefully back into her bed, placing the cloth over her forehead.

"I'll be right back, Baby." Harry said. His only answer was a weak little cough, the sound of which nearly broke his heart. He quickly went back to his bedroom to wake Severus.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Ella's sick. Fever and cough, it's probably just a cold, but I'm worried about her. Are there any potions she can take?" Harry asked.

"I don't have any made up right now, but I can give her a light sleeping potion that will get her through the night. In the morning I'll brew some children's potions." Severus said.

"Okay." Harry said. Severus quickly fetched a sleeping potion, mixing it with a bit of juice so it wouldn't taste so bad. Slowly he coaxed Ella into drinking the mixture, holding her in his arms until she fell asleep. After gently placing her down, he turned to go back to bed, but stopped at the door when he noticed Harry wasn't behind him.

"Are you coming back to bed?" Severus asked.

"I want to stay and make sure she doesn't wake up and need something." Harry said, watching Ella sadly.

"It's just a cold, Harry. The potion will keep her asleep well into the morning." The older man reassured him.

"I know." Harry sighed, slowly shuffling over to his husband. Severus sighed himself, rolling his eyes.

"I suppose it wont hurt to have her sleep with us until she's better." Severus said. Harry smiled. "As long as you sleep." he reprimanded. Harry beamed up at Severus, picking up Ella and quickly returning to their bedroom. He laid the toddler on the bed carefully, between him and his husband. Severus shut his eyes and immediately tried to go back to sleep while Harry watched over Ella for a bit, making sure the cloth stayed cool and she was covered with the blanket.

"Sleep." Severus commanded without opening his eyes, startling the younger wizard who thought he was asleep. Chuckling slightly to himself, Harry allowed himself to fall asleep.

In the morning Harry woke up to Ella curled into his side, one little fist clenched in his t-shirt. Severus was missing from the bed, presumably to make the children's potions for Ella. Harry winced slightly as the little girl coughed, patting her back slightly to calm her. She was still asleep, luckily.

After a few moments Harry pried himself away from the toddler, setting a ward around the bed so she wouldn't fall off and a monitoring charm to alert him if she woke up. He slipped into the bathroom to take a quick shower, dressing in some comfortable muggle clothes. Checking on Ella again, he slipped down to Severus' lab to check on his progress.

"Morning." Harry said quietly so as not to disturb the man's brewing. His only answer was a grunt from Severus as he concentrated on a certain stirring pattern. "What's the difference between regular potions and children's potions?" Harry asked once he was in a less delicate part of the procedure.

"It's much the same as in muggle medicine. The children's potions are slightly less potent. Also, there are some ingredients that don't react well with children who's magic has not been fully developed, and some that don't react well with children, period." Severus said.

"How long until the potions are done?" Harry asked.

"About an hour."

"Would you object to me calling Madame Pomfrey, just to make sure it's only a cold?" He asked.

"I believe that I am perfectly capable of telling the difference between a cold and something more serious." Severus said.

"I just want to be sure." Harry said quietly. Severus rolled his eyes and gave in. It couldn't hurt to have the opinion of a professional. And Madame Pomfrey simply adored the little girl. Harry gave Severus a quick peck on the cheek before rushing upstairs. He checked on Ella again, who was still peacefully asleep, before going to the floo room. It was only a matter of moments before Madame Pomfrey was coming through. The school nurse saw Ella as almost a granddaughter to her, and was one of the few healers Harry and Severus trusted explicitly. God knows the two of them had frequented her hospital wing more than enough times.

"Severus was right, it's just a cold." She said after checking Ella over. " Severus knows what to give her and how to administer all the potions, I'm sure. Repeat the potions twice a day and she should be all better in two or three days." Madame Pomfrey said. "I have to be getting back to Hogwarts, but maybe next weekend you and Severus would like to have tea?"

"That sounds lovely, Poppy. I'll tell Severus. Thank you for coming." Harry said.

"No problem Harry." She smiled, flooing back to the hospital wing at Hogwarts.

"So?" Severus asked once Harry had returned back to the potion lab.

"You were right." his husband sighed. Severus smirked, dousing the fire underneath his cauldron.

"That needs to set for fifteen minutes." He said.

"How should the potions be administered, just so I know?" Harry asked.

"I flavored them, so they don't need to be mixed with anything to make her take them. I also mixed the cough suppressant and the fever reducer, so she only needs to take one potion twice a day." Severus said.

"So I guess wizards don't have a cure for the cold either, huh?" Harry asked.

"Viruses are particularly tricky to treat. Unlike the muggles, we do have treatments for some, and much more effective way to stop the spreading of others, like AIDS." The older wizard informed him.

"Why don't wizards share their cures with the muggles?" Harry asked.

"It would be a bit hard to explain things like unicorn horn and dragon's blood." Severus snarked.

"Point taken. Has it been fifteen minutes yet?" Harry asked impatiently.

"Almost."

"I'm going to check Ella." Harry said, leaving the lab. Severus rolled his eyes at Harry's over-protectiveness, but smiled slightly too. When he made his way up to Ella's room, Harry was desperately trying to comfort the sick child, who had woken up and was crying and sniffling again. He looked at Severus with relief when he entered bearing potions.

"Be a good girl and drink this. I promise it will make you feel better." Harry said, holding Ella so that his husband could easily tip the potion into her mouth.

"Yucky!" she exclaimed after swallowing.

"It will probably make her sleepy." Severus said, walking over to Harry and wrapping his arms around the younger wizard, Ella cradled between them. Sure enough, the green eyes soon slipped closed. Harry sighed and leaned his head against Severus' chest. "She will probably be more comfortable in her bed." The taller man said after a moment.

"I know. It just hurts to see her in any kind of discomfort." Harry said quietly. Severus rubbed Harry's back a bit before removing the toddler form his arms and placing her in her bed.

"Come downstairs. Ella will be fine. The best thing to do is take your mind off of it. It's just a cold, you act as if she has cancer." Severus sneered, though Harry knew there was no malice behind the sneer.

"And just what would you suggest to take my mind off of things?" Harry asked.

"I can think of a few things." Severus leered, leading Harry out of the room. Severus kept Harry sufficiently distracted for a few hours until the monitoring charm on Ella alerted them that she had woken up. She was faring much better thanks to the potions. Her cough was almost gone, and the fever was reduced a bit.

Severus and Harry went to the study where they kept themselves occupied with books and chess, though Harry insisted on checking Ella every fifteen minutes. Finally Severus got annoyed and conjured up a cot for Ella in the 'muggle' sitting room, bringing the toddler downstairs. Severus called it the 'muggle room' because Harry had insisted on having some muggle appliances as well as magical ones. They had easily adapted the manor to the muggle artifacts.

In the muggle room, Harry had bought a modest sized telly along with a DVD player and satellite programs, even though they rarely watched it. Most of their DVD's were of children's programs and movies, for Ella's sake, though there were a few films for Severus and Harry as well. Severus especially liked some of the older, classical movies, while Harry liked comedy and newer adventure movies. There was also a stereo with an amazing sound system. Arthur was always delighted to visit their house because of the muggle room.

Harry popped a disk into the player and lounged on the couch, tuning out most of the telly, though Ella was thoroughly engrossed with the program. Severus had retreated to his laboratory. He was not a huge fan of the muggle appliances. He claimed that it rotted the brain, after seeing some of the programs on the satellite.

As it was, Harry rarely used the telly. It was mostly for Ella, so she could be educated in both wizarding culture and muggle culture, as Harry insisted. Severus had no complaints, as knowledge of the muggle world had saved his arse more than once during his years as a spy.

Soon enough, most of the day had passed. Severus gave Ella another potion, this time with a sleeping aid added in, and put her to bed. Harry insisted on having her sleep with them again, and Severus didn't resist. He liked having his daughter close to him, especially when she was sick and vulnerable. He was just as over-protective as Harry was, he just didn't let it show as much.

The next day repeated much the same, but Severus read to Ella instead of letting her watch the telly. Ella usually adored to have Severus read to her, much like her other father did. On the third day, Ella was mostly healed and just as rambunctious as ever, but Harry insisted on keeping her, if not in bed, then at least doing quiet activities.

"I wanna go outside Daddy!" She wailed when Harry said she had to stay in the nursery. It had snowed last night and outside was a veritable winter wonderland. Harry sighed. He had been arguing with her for nearly ten minutes. So was the way of the terrible twos.

"Do you want to be sick again Ella?" he asked. She calmed down slightly.

"No." she pouted.

"Then you have to stay inside."

"But I don' wanna!" She said, stomping her foot for emphasis, her arms crossed over her chest. Harry couldn't help but laugh at the resemblance she had to Severus.

"Tell you what." He said, scooping the toddler into his arms. "I'll take you outside tomorrow."

"Pwomise?" she asked, looking up at him with sad eyes. Emotional blackmail, those eyes were.

"I promise." Harry said.

"Okay Daddy!" She said, and just like that the tantrum was over, and Ella went back to playing with her dolls. Harry rolled his eyes slightly, smiling to himself. The next morning, however, Harry wasn't smiling.

"Wake up Daddy!" Ella shouted, bouncing on his bed. Harry groaned and rolled over. Ella turned teary eyes to her other father instead. "Papa! Make Daddy get up!" she insisted.

"You heard her, get up Daddy." Severus said, amusement apparent in his voice.

"Go away." Harry said, coughing. "I'm sick."

"That's what you get for spending every waking moment with a sick toddler." Severus said.

"But Daddy pwomised!" Ella shouted. Harry groaned as the sound assaulted his ears.

"How about I take you outside instead?" Severus asked. The green-eyed girl seemed to consider this for a moment.

"Okay Papa!" she shouted.

"Go get your outside clothing. I'll be there in a minute to help you." Severus said, sending Ella off to her room and sitting on the side of the bed by Harry, rubbing his back through the mound of blankets.

"I know this amuses you to no end." Harry scowled. Severus smirked a little bit, leaning down to kiss Harry's forehead. He also summoned a potion vial, holding it out to Harry who gratefully downed it.

"I'll take her outside and then get her settled with one of those insane muggle programs. Then I'll be happy to take care of my poor sick husband." Severus said, his voice teasing.

"I hate you." Harry glared, his voice slightly nasal due to a stuffy nose. Severus just smirked and left to help Ella with her cloak and mittens. That evening Severus delivered on his promise, giving Harry several potions and a nice back massage, lulling him into a peaceful sleep. Harry thought with a small smile that he should be sick more often, if it got him this kind of treatment.


	3. Chapter 3

Here's a chapter for carpe.slytherin, who wanted to see an early Christmas together, and also for TheSilverbow (again). I'm glad you guys are all enjoying this, keep the requests coming!

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Harry hummed a Christmas carol to himself as he began opening up various boxes of decorations. It was Christmas time once again, and Harry was beginning the task of decorating the house. The house elves took care of most of the decoration for him, but he wanted to decorate a few rooms himself. Looking around the living room for a minute, he raised his wand and began directing garland, wreaths, bows, and other decorations.

Harry had never really liked Christmas as a child. To him, it was just something else that made him different, something else that Dudley got to gloat over. It had been a bit better during his years at Hogwarts, with his friends and the Weasley's, his surrogate family. But even then he had felt apart from the other kids who had a real family to celebrate with. It was a bitter happiness.

Now, however, he liked Christmas much better. Now he had his own, real family to celebrate with. He remembered fondly the intense wonder, curiosity, and sheer happiness that had graced his baby girl's face during her first Christmas, even if she wasn't quite a year old then. He pulled out the 'baby's first Christmas' ornament that Molly Weasley had given to him, placing it carefully on the large, mostly bare Christmas tree. He would go get Severus and Ella before he decorated the tree more, it was a tradition that should be done as a family.

Harry was startled out of his thoughts by a shriek in the hallway. He gripped his wand tightly in fear before realizing there wasn't terror in the screaming. A second later Ella came tearing into the room, naked as the day she was born.

"Help, Daddy!" she shouted, hugging his legs tight. Severus came running into the room as she said this, and Harry knew he had nothing to worry about. "No bath!" She shouted. Harry chuckled at the scowl on Severus' face and knelt down beside Ella.

"Is he being mean to you?" Harry asked. Ella nodded. Severus stood looking down at Harry and their daughter, his arms crossed and a scowl plastered on his face. Harry grinned up his husband mischievously. "Why?" he asked Ella.

"No want bath!" She pouted. Harry chuckled. Ella had recently developed a dislike of bathing.

"If you don't take a bath, you can't decorate the tree." Harry said. She had been excited for days about Christmas, ever since Harry and Severus had told her all about it, even if she didn't quite understand everything.

"No want bath." she said, a bit less forcefully, though.

"The sooner you take a bath, the sooner you can decorate the tree." Harry cajoled

"Pwomise?" Ellas asked, eyeing the decorations longingly

"I promise." Harry said.

"Ok." Ella said with a pout. Harry smiled and picked her up, passing her to Severus.

"You just had to run away when your clothes were off, didn't you?" Severus asked sarcastically.

"Yes." Ella said, not understand the sarcasm. Severus chuckled a bit, bringing Ella back to the bathroom to take a bath. Harry smiled and shook his head, following after them. He leaned against the doorframe, watching Ella squeal and splash and get Severus soaked.

"I hope you're enjoying this." Severus glared. The effect was ruined by the wet hair hanging in his face. Harry didn't answer, instead laughing and kneeling down by the tub to help wash their daughter. Ella giggled at all of the attention, waving her rubber duck around and splashing more water. Once she was sufficiently clean and both of her parents were completely soaked, Severus drained the water and scooped Ella up into a towel.

"You go change and I'll get her dressed." Harry said. Severus nodded, passing the squirming toddler to his husband. Soon enough all three of them were dry and dressed and back in the living room where the large, bare Christmas tree was housed. Ella immediately went for the boxes of decorations, looking them over with amazement. Harry and Severus showed her what to do with them and she was soon trying her best to decorate the few low branches she could reach.

"Just be careful not to break anything." Harry warned lightly.

Humming to himself again, Harry continued the decorating. He chuckled slightly as Ella concentrated on hanging one of the glass baubles on a branch, her tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth as her slightly clumsy hands worked. Harry looked away to get another ornament, and there was the sound of breaking glass, followed by crying.

"I sowwy!" Ella wailed.

"Shh, it's alright Ella." Harry comforted, pulling the toddler into his arms. Severus waved his wand and the ball was instantly repaired.

"Look Ella, it's fixed now." Severus said, holding the ball out to her. She looked at it with wonder, and then looked up at Severus as if asking permission. He nodded to her, and she reached out and took the ball from him with both hands. She turned it over, examining it closely, the look of amazement never leaving her face.

"All better?" She asked in a voice little more than a whisper.

"All better." Severus confirmed with a small smile. Ella smiled brightly, hugging Severus around the neck tightly.

"Tank you!" She said, happily returning to the tree to place more ornaments on it. As a precaution, Harry cast an unbreakable charm over the rest of the decorations. After an hour or so, Harry and Severus were lounging together on the couch while Ella played with a toy reindeer she had found, babbling to it without much meaning. Harry noticed with a groan that it was past her nap time.

"Ella, it's time for your nap." Harry said.

"No!" Ella exclaimed. Harry sighed. Ella was beginning to get to the age where she did the opposite of what she was told and resisted orders. The terrible twos, as they were called.

"If you don't take a nap, you can't have a snack when you wake up." Severus reasoned with her. He always dealt with her with calmness and reason. They always tried to dissipate her tantrums with reason, and it worked to an extent.

"But..."she pouted, knowing she was beat already.

"Come on Ella." He said, taking her hand and walking her up to her room. Harry followed them, leaning against the doorframe and watching Severus put their daughter to bed, a small smile on his face.

"So, we have a bit of free time now." Harry said suggestively once Ella was asleep.

"And just what to you propose we do about that?" Severus asked. The two of them were already heading toward their bedroom. Harry stopped Severus in the doorway and pointed up. Severus looked up curiously, and caught a quick glimpse of a sprig of mistletoe before Harry was dragging his head back down for a kiss. Needless to say, they found a way to keep themselves busy during Ella's nap.

In just a few short days Christmas was upon them. Ella had been beyond excited on Christmas eve. Harry and Severus had told her the story of Father Christmas, and she also knew that she would be visiting the Weasley's later in the day. It had been nearly impossible to get her to sleep.

Christmas morning, Harry and Severus were woken by Ella loudly entering their room and crawling into bed with them. Harry groaned as Ella wiggled her way in between her parents, loudly telling them to get up. After a few moments she succeeded in prying the two wizards out of bed and dragging them downstairs.

"Pretty!" she squealed when she caught sight of the multi-colored gifts under the tree, rushing over to them.

"You can open one, Ella, and then we will have breakfast." Harry said. "Pick one out."

"That!" she said, pointing to a shiny silver and gold wrapped box. Harry smiled and gave it to her, watching as she eagerly ripped off the paper. Inside was new robe made of a soft, luxurious material in a bright red with white lace around the collar and sleeves.

"Pretty." She whispered in awe, stroking the soft material.

"It's time for breakfast, Ella." Harry said.

"I wanna 'nother!" she said.

"After breakfast." Harry said.

"Now!" Ella said.

"No, baby. You can't have another until after breakfast." Harry said sternly. Ella started crying, but Harry ignored the tears, picking Ella up and bringing her to the table. Hermione had told him the best way to deal with tantrums was to ignore them, and eventually the child would stop. Hermione was right, of course. Ella stopped crying when she saw the warm cinnamon buns they would be having for breakfast.

After getting sufficiently sticky during breakfast, and an extremely protested cleaning up, Harry, Severus, and Ella all sat down by the tree to begin opening presents. Ella was constantly squealing in delight as she opened the multitude of presents her doting parents had bought her. She had gotten a couple new robes and a frilly muggle dress that she instantly fell in love with, some new toys, a couple picture books, a new doll, and a toy broom. The last was greatly protested by Severus, but Harry insisted on buying it. It couldn't fly higher than three feet anyway.

Harry and Severus also had their share of gifts as well, mostly from each other. All three of them would be getting more gifts when they visited the Weasleys that afternoon, however. As Ella occupied herself with her new doll, Severus turned to Harry.

"I have one last present for you." he said, pulling a vial of potion from one of his pockets. Harry was pretty sure he recognized the potion.

"Is that...?" he asked in awe.

"I know you've been thinking about having another child, so I decided to make the potion. If you don't want another child, that's fine as well." he said, and Harry detected a bit of self-consciousness in the tone.

"Oh Severus, of course I want another child! Thank you so much!" Harry exclaimed, kissing him deeply.

"When will we do it?" Harry asked. Sex wasn't required to conceive the child, only that the sperm of both parents be added to it, but they had wanted to make love when they had tried to conceive before, as it felt more special that way.

"I'm sure we can ask the Weasleys to babysit sometime next month, once all the holidays are over." Severus said.

"Thank you Severus." Harry said again. "You want another child too, though, right? You're not just doing this for me?"

"If I didn't want another child, I wouldn't have made the potion." Severus sneered, though it held very little malice. Harry smiled and kissed his husband again, leaning his head on the older man's shoulder, watching Ella play contentedly.


	4. Chapter 4

Another chapter for carpe.slytherin, who wanted to see Harry teach Ella to fly. In this chapter I'm going by the thought that if most kids start riding a tricycle between two and three, than wizarding children can probably fly a toy broom (like the ones briefly mentioned in the fourth book during the Quidditch World Cup) between two and three (the age Ella currently is.)

**XxXxXxXxXxXxX**

"Daddy!" Ella shouted, running down the hall to where Harry was half asleep on the couch, his head pillowed in Severus' lap. "Papa!" She added loudly. Harry groaned slightly. A morning babysitting for Ron and Hermione's now three children, a boy having been added to the family just last year, had tired him out. Ella, however, seemed even more energetic after playing with Bell and Catie, who were now five and three respectively. It didn't help that her third birthday was just a few short days away.

"What is it Ella?" Severus asked, running his hand through his husband's hair to calm him. Harry was once again pregnant, nearly two months now, and while it didn't seem as bad as the last time, it was still taking it's toll on him.

"Daddy pwomised to fly." Ella said, holding out the toy broom she had yet to use despite it being April already.

"You are not getting anywhere near that broom of yours." Severus told Harry sternly.

"Relax Severus, I'm not that stupid. It's a nice day out, we can all go outside and I can show Ella how to fly." Harry said, forcing himself to sit up. Ella looked up at him with a grin.

"Fly, Daddy?" She asked.

"Yes. Let's go grab your cloak first, it's chilly outside." Harry smiled to Ella, taking her hand and leading her back to her room, helping her fasten on a light cloak. As he stood back up from helping the toddler, his own cloak was placed over his shoulders by Severus, the older wizard leaning his head against Harry's for a moment.

"Thanks." Harry said, fastening his own cloak. Ella grabbed both of her father's hands and began dragging them toward the door. Severus smiled and picked up her broom, following the impatient toddler at his own pace.

Once outside Ella ran across the snow-covered lawns for a moment while Harry conjured up a blanket for them to sit on if they so wished. Soon enough Ella remembered the reason for coming outside and ran back to Harry and Severus.

"I fly now?" she asked.

"Yes." Harry said. "Put your broom on the ground, by your right side." he began teaching her. He had to stop for a moment to show her how to differentiate right and left, showing her that the left hand made an 'L,' but soon enough Ella was ready. "Now, say up!" Harry said.

"UP!" Ella shouted, the broom instantly jumping into her hand with a slap. Ella cried out, startled, and fell over backwards.

"It's okay baby, the broom is supposed to do that. Try it again." Harry coaxed, helping the toddler stand up again.

"Up?" Ella said with less force and a bit of timidity. The broom rolled over before slowly, waveringly rising into her hand. She smiled brightly at her parents, her confidence returned.

"Now grip it tightly, like this," he said, positioning her hands, "And swing your leg over it." Ella did exactly what he said. "You're a natural!" Harry exclaimed. It was true, he wouldn't be surprised if she was a natural at flying. "Now, when you want to go up, pull up on the handle a little bit." Harry instructed. She did so, and shakily rose into the air with a squeal that soon turned to giggles.

"I'm flying!" She shouted, giggling. The broom stopped rising in the air at about two and a half feet, hovering for a minute.

"To get down, push down on the handle of the broom. If you want to go forward, lean forward. If you want to stop, sit up more. To turn, just lean in that direction. Easy as pie, no?" Harry told Ella. Immediately she leaned forward, shooting off at a tame speed, making a few shaky circles around Harry and Severus before coming toward them, pushing down on the broom. As she neared the ground she slowed down a bit, tumbling into the snow at Harry's feet with another giggle.

"You did it Ella, you flew!" Harry shouted, pulling Ella into a tight hug. "I'm so proud of you!" he said.

"Air, Daddy!" she giggled. Harry laughed and pulled away slightly.

"Papa, I flew!" Ella shouted, running over to Severus as well.

"Yes, soon enough you'll be giving me heart attacks with all the insane tricks your father teaches you." Severus said with a smile. Ella giggled and picked up the broom again, quickly taking to the air.

"See, it's not so bad." Harry said, watching Ella fly around the yard, his eyes shining with pride. "It doesn't go too high or too fast."

"It's still dangerous." Severus sneered.

"It's not like you haven't been dying for her to get old enough to learn potions, and those can be even more dangerous." Harry sniped.

"If you're in a classroom with Longbottom, yes." Severus answered. Harry chuckled, leaning his head against Severus' shoulder.

"The brooms are designed for kids her age, it's perfectly safe. And I promise to make as little fuss as I can when you decide to start teaching her potions." Harry said. Severus smiled, wrapping his arm around Harry's shoulder as they continued to observe Ella's constantly improving flying.


	5. Chapter 5

Someone mention nightmares (can't remember who right now) so here's a short little drabble with nightmares and Harry's pregnancy.

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Severus was woken in the early morning to the sound of Harry being sick and a strong sense of deja vu. Sighing slightly, he rose from bed and went to the bathroom to help his lover. He found Harry curled up miserably on the floor, coughing.

"Why do I keep putting myself through this?" Harry groaned.

"You're secretly a masochist?" Severus suggested, his voice completely serious, but a playful spark shining in his eye. Harry laughed for a minute before turning to the toilet bowl again, retching. Severus kneeled beside him, rubbing his back and trying to help him calm the dry-heaves. As Harry leaned miserably against him, a small voice from the doorway was heard.

"Papa?" Ella asked. She was dressed in a slightly large pink nightgown that was slipping off of one shoulder, a teddy bear clenched tightly in one hand, dragging on the ground, her hair sticking up every which way in a lovely imitation of her younger father's hair. "Is Daddy sick?"

"Sort of." Severus said.

"You can make him better wiv potions, right?" Ella asked.

"Potions won't work, baby. Don't worry though, it will go away soon." Harry reassured her. "Did I wake you up?"

"No. Bad dweam." Ella snuffled, looking down. Severus pulled Ella into a tight hug, stroking her soft black hair to calm her.

"You want to sleep with us for the rest of the night?" Harry asked.

"Yes." Ella said.

"Okay then. You go with Papa and I'll be right there." Harry said. Severus scooped Ella into his arms and carried her back to their room, drying her tears and doing his best to reassured her while Harry brushed his teeth and washed his face. When he returned to his bedroom, he slipped into bed on the other side of Ella, cuddling her between him and Severus. In a few minutes she was asleep again.

"Poor baby." Harry said, carding his fingers through her soft black hair. He sighed, pressing a kiss to her forehead and falling asleep after a few moments. The pregnancy made him more tired than usual. Severus stayed awake for a while longer, just watching over his little family, something he had never imagined having. He shifted a bit to lay his arm over Ella and Harry, one hand splayed over Harry's stomach and the new child growing inside.


	6. Chapter 6

As he did most afternoons, Severus was brewing potions in his laboratory. Today he was working on a fairly simplistic potion. The precise timing and motions had always had the effect of calming him. He was rudely interrupted by a loud banging on the door to the lab, however. When he heard Ella screaming for him, he quickly abandoned the potion without bothering to stabilize it.

"Ella?" He asked, bursting out the room to find Ella crying hysterically.

"Daddy won't wake up!" she wailed. Severus pulled Ella into a tight hug, calming her down as best he could in as little time possible. He quickly picked her up and rushed off to where Ella and Harry had been playing last. Harry was nearing the end of his pregnancy, and Severus was worried for both his unborn children and his husband. This pregnancy was especially hard on Harry, for he was carrying twins this time. Severus burst into the room to find Harry laying in an unnatural position on the ground.

"Sit right here Ella, I'm going to see if I can help Daddy." He said, placing the toddler on a chair where she could still easily see Harry. He quickly kneeled beside his husband, rolling him over onto his back, feeling for a pulse and breathing, both of which were normal. Severus calmed down a bit, thinking he must have passed out. Not wanting to move Harry without knowing exactly what was wrong, however, he told Ella to stay with him while he went to firecall Madame Pomfrey. Soon enough the nurse was rushing into the room, waving her wand over Harry, casting all sorts of diagnostic spells.

"He just passed out from exhaustion. Because he's carrying twins this time, it's even harder on his body. The babies are perfectly fine, and with some rest Harry will be too. I want him on permanent bed rest until the twins are born, however." she said. "Let him sleep for now, and give him a nutrient potion when he wakes. Don't let him cast any magic." Severus nodded, and slowly picked up his husband, bringing him back to their room to place him carefully in bed. Ella followed closely, one hand holding onto Severus' robes tightly, her thumb in her mouth.

"Daddy is ok?" she asked.

"Yes. Daddy was very, very tired, and his body wanted to sleep, even if he didn't, so he passed out." Severus tried to explain to Ella.

"What's passed out?" Ella asked, her nose curling up adorably.

"It is somewhat like sleeping, but it's much harder to wake the person up. It is not good to pass out." Severus said. She seemed to understand this well enough.

"I stay with Daddy." She said, crawling into bed beside Harry, curling up by his side. Severus smiled down at the two, smoothing Harry's hair and placing a kiss on both of their foreheads.

"I have to go down to my lab, but I'll be right back, okay?" he said.

"Okay." Ella said. Severus stroked her hair for a moment before heading back to his lab, where an awful stench was permeating the air. The potion had gone off. He extinguished the flames and vanished the burnt slop with a wave of his wand. He cleaned up the other equipment and put the ingredients away before heading back to his bedroom. When he arrived there, Ella was asleep beside Harry. He gently maneuvered her under the blankets before laying down at Harry's side, watching over his husband and daughter, one hand splayed over the large mound that was his unborn children.

Harry was the first to wake after the impromptu nap, confused and a little sore from his fall. He remembered with a gasp that he had passed out. His first reaction was to clasp his stomach, remembering fearfully the last time he had passed out while pregnant. He was full out panicking in two seconds flat, but breathed a shaky sigh of relief when he found nothing wrong. His movements had woken Severus, who was quick to wrap his arms around his shaking husband and reassure him with soft whispers.

"What happened? The twins are okay, right?" Harry asked, his voice still holding a hint of fear in it.

"The babies are perfectly fine. You passed out from exhaustion is all." Severus assured him. Harry sighed again, turning into Severus' embrace, crying from relief.

"It's nothing to get emotional about." he sneered, but his tone was counteracted by his arms still around Harry and his hands running up and down his back soothingly. "Drink this." he said once Harry had calmed down, passing him a nutrient potion. "Poppy wants you on permanent bed rest until they're born."

"What? But there's still three weeks until my due date." Harry said.

"Your body can't take the stress. It wasn't made to carry children, you need to put as little extra stress on yourself as possible right now." Severus said.

"All right." Harry sighed. "Was Ella frightened?" Harry asked, stroking the toddler's hair.

"A bit. She knew enough to come get me, however. I think I explained well enough what happened." Severus said. Ella chose that moment to wake up.

"Daddy!" she squealed, wrapping her arms around Harry tightly. Harry chuckled and hugged the toddler back, carefully directing her away from his stomach. Harry reassured her that he was alright, and soon enough she and Severus were off to play. Harry sighed and rolled onto his side, falling back asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Harry sighed to himself as he woke up for the second time in one night. It was a few days before his due date, and the twins seemed to like to use his bladder as a quaffle. Even though he had been ordered not to leave bed unassisted, he didn't want to wake Severus up again as it was almost morning. The bathroom wasn't that far away. Taking a deep breath, he slowly struggled to a sitting position, swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

"And just what do you think you are doing, Mr. Potter?" Severus said in his best 'classroom voice,' startling Harry.

"I didn't want to wake you up again." Harry said quietly, flopping back onto the bed.

"Harry." Severus said sternly, wrapping his arms around his husband. "I don't care if you wake me up every five minutes. You don't seem to realize how much of a stress you are putting on your body. Carrying twins is difficult even for women, and their bodies are made for it. You could end up killing yourself and the twins if you don't listen to Madame Pomfrey's advice." Severus said harshly. Harry's eyes widened and he began shaking as he realized just how serious Severus was.

"Harry?" Severus asked gently.

"I'm sorry!" Harry wailed, tears falling down his face. "I...I didn't realize. I don't know what I was thinking!" Severus gently pulled Harry back toward the center of the rather large bed, wrapping the smaller wizard tightly in his arms. Severus was slightly alarmed as Harry's whole body shook with his sobs.

"It's okay Harry, calm down." Severus said, holding his lover close. Slowly the sobs ceased and Harry loosened his death-grip on Severus.

"Sev?" Harry said after a moment of silence.

"What?" Severus asked, letting the nickname go for now.

"I have to pee." Harry said, his face tinting slightly pink. Severus rolled his eyes and helped Harry get out of bed and into the bathroom. The two of them got another couple hours or so of sleep before Ella woke up.

"Do I have to stay in bed today?" Harry asked. Severus considered the question for a minute before answering.

"As long as you stay lying down, I suppose you can be anywhere you like. It's raining today, so Ella will have to stay inside. We could spend the day in the muggle room." Severus suggested.

"That sounds good." Harry smiled. Severus gently picked Harry up with the help of a light levitation charm, bringing him to the so-called muggle room. Once there he set Harry down on one of the sofas before enlarging it so it was more like a bed with a back and arms. After settling Harry with a bunch of pillows and blankets, he went to corral his daughter. Soon enough the small family was settled on the enlarged sofa watching a muggle movie.

Harry laid with his head in Severus' lap, the elder wizard carding his fingers through the messy raven hair. Ella bounced from place to place in the room, unable to sit still for long periods of time. Severus paid little attention to the movie, instead reading from a book he had perched on the arm of the sofa. Harry drifted in and out of sleep, a content smile on his face.

The peace wasn't to last for long, however. Harry cried out slightly as he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. After panicking for a second, he realized it must be a contraction. It was only a few days until his due date anyway. As the pain faded away, he was almost positive it had been a contraction.

"Harry?" Severus asked.

"I think I had a contraction." Harry said.

"Are you sure?" Severus asked.

"Pretty sure. It wouldn't hurt to check it out." Harry said.

"Okay. Wait here for a moment and I'll bring Ella to the Weasley's and get your bags. Just relax and breathe." Severus said, kissing Harry before telling Ella that she was going to visit Granny, as she had taken to calling Molly Weasley. Severus retrieved the suitcases they had packed for this occasion, telling Ella to grab what toys she wanted. They had explained to her a few weeks ago that she might have to spend a few nights with Granny when the twins came.

Molly assured Severus that she would take excellent care of Ella, and that she would be perfectly happy for a few days. There was always a constant stream of her children, their spouses and her grandchildren streaming through the house, so Ella would have plenty of people to keep her entertained. After thanking Molly for watching Ella and telling her she could go to the manor for anything she needed, Severus floo'd back, grabbed Harry's suitcase and went back to where he had left his husband.

Harry was in the middle of another contraction when Severus returned, and the older wizard quickly rushed to his side, smoothing back his hair and telling him to breathe. When the contraction passed, Severus helped Harry to his feet, directing him toward the floo. They both stepped into the fireplace, Severus wrapping his arms around his husband to make sure he made it safely through the floo without falling at the end.

Soon enough Harry was checked into the hospital and in a private room, waiting for the operating room to be prepared for him. He held Severus' hand tightly through the contractions as his husband tried his best to soothe him. It seemed like forever to Harry before they were wheeling him into the OR.

As it had happened last time, a numbing potion was applied to his abdomen with the bonus effect of taking a bit of the edge off of the contractions. An incision was made and soon a wailing child was pulled into the world. It was a boy. He was cleaned up and dressed and placed into Severus' arms as the second child was being pulled from the womb, a girl this time. They were fraternal twins, not identical.

Things seemed to be going smoothly, but as was always the case, something went wrong. As they were bundling up the second child in pink blankets, Harry passed out and alarms began going off. The healers began rushing around, trying to figure out what was wrong.

Severus watched worriedly as the Healer's rushed about, but after a moment he was forced from the room. One of the Healers carried his daughter to the private room Harry would eventually occupy. Severus followed, cradling his newborn son tightly against his chest, worried about his husband.

While St. Mungo's did have a nursery, Harry and Severus did not feel safe having their children where it wasn't too hard for an enemy, of which they still had a few at large, to get at them. So when they had Ella, and now that they had the twins, they had insisted on the children being kept in the same room as Harry. The healers didn't argue much as Harry had made several large donations to the hospital.

After more than an hour of agitated pacing, a healer entered the room. Two others followed, pushing Harry into the room, still unconscious. Severus was quick to demand answers as to what had happened.

"It was mostly exhaustion. It's amazing he carried the children to term. His body shouldn't have been able to function properly at such a deep state of physical and magical exhaustion. He was functioning mostly to keep the children alive and healthy. Once they were removed, his body didn't feel the need to support itself anymore and began shutting down. We were able to stabilize him however, and he is in a deep healing sleep right now." the healer informed him. Severus slumped into a chair, amazed. The healers quietly left the room after checking on the children.

"Foolish Gryffindor." Severus whispered to Harry, brushing a bit of hair out of his face. "You nearly killed yourself this time." As he watched his husband sleep, Severus began to realize just how tired he himself was. Not caring an ounce what the healers would think, he expanded the hospital bed with a wave of his wand and climbed onto the bed beside his husband, falling asleep with his arms wrapped around his lover.

Almost twenty four hours later Harry woke up to find Severus cradling one of their children in his arms, feeding the child. He seemed focused solely on the child, a small smile on his face as he delicately held the baby.

"Severus?" Harry asked, barely contained emotion making his voice hoarse.

"Harry?" Severus asked, focusing on his husband in surprise. He sighed in relief, kissing Harry soundly.

"What happened?" Harry asked.

"Your idiotic Gryffindorness nearly killed you." Severus growled out. "You were so exhausted, your body was only functioning so that the children would be carried to term. Once they were removed, your body was so worn out it began shutting down. You almost died Harry." Severus said, the last an emotional whisper.

"Can I hold the baby?" Harry asked after a moment of silence.

"Of course." Severus smiled. Sitting down on the edge of Harry's bed, he carefully placed the child into his husband's arms. Harry smiled down at him brightly.

"He's beautiful." Harry whispered. Severus nodded his head in agreement, striding across the room to pick up their baby girl, bringing her over for Harry to see as well.

An hour or so later, their children were once again asleep, but Harry kept his daughter cradled in his arms, their son in Severus' arms. A healer entered the room to check on Harry and the babies.

"Good, you're awake. Your husband refused to tell us the names of the children without you being awake. I'm afraid we need them for the birth certificate, however." the jolly healer said. Harry chuckled slightly and turned to the healer.

"The boy's name is Nicholas Alexander Potter-Snape." Harry said.

"And the girl's name?" she asked.

"Annabel Lily Potter-Snape." Severus answered.

"A lovely name. I'll have their birth certificates finished up in a few moments." the healer said, leaving the room.

"Have you spoken with Molly or Ella?" Harry asked.

"I spoke with Mrs. Weasley a few hours ago and Ella is contentedly playing with some of the other Weasley children. She'll probably be fine for most of the day. If you want, she can come visit in the evening. They had a bit of trouble getting her to go to sleep, and when she did, she had nightmares. She just isn't used to being away from us." Severus said.

"Poor baby." Harry said. "Get her here as soon as possible."

"Very well then. I'll go speak with Mrs. Weasley." Severus chuckled.

"Thank you." Harry said. As Severus left, Harry settled back into his bed, falling asleep after a few moments. His body was still recovering from the stress of carrying the twins.


	8. Chapter 8

I know, I know, I haven't posted in forever. Some people are leaving reviews asking me if I'm dead lol. I've had major writer's block for a long time. But now I have another small chapter for you guys. It's sort of for InuyashanKagomerlovers because it's sort of what she/he asked for. I'll probably do a chapter more like your request later on. A bit thank you to everyone who has reviewed and to everyone who has stuck with me through the long absence! So without further ado, I give you chapter 8!

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Silence was a rare commodity in the Potter-Snape household only a few weeks after bringing home their newest additions to the family. Harry was still quite exhausted and was under orders from the healers to take things easy for the next month or so until he was back in good condition and Severus was taking it to extremes. He insisted that he always be the one to get up in the nighttime when the twins woke up, even going so far as to cast a sticking charm on Harry to keep him in bed once. He was also the one who would deal with Ella's tantrums and hyper periods most of the time.

Harry could easily see the toll it was taking on his lover. His eyes were often bloodshot and usually had dark bags under them. He was getting barely any sleep at all. Harry would often find him asleep in odd places, in a chair holding one of the twins after finally getting them back to sleep, or in the playroom amongst all of Ella's dolls after falling asleep playing with her. He looked thinner too as often he was too busy with the children to eat. It nearly broke Harry's heart to see his lover like this, all because he was a little on the weak side after delivering the twins.

Of course, they had been given many offers of help from the Weasley family. Mrs. Weasley had offered to come live with them and help out until Harry was better, but Severus was obstinate about refusing all help. He didn't want to admit that he might need a little help taking care of two newborns at the same time. He didn't want it to seem like he couldn't look after his own children.

It was a little after noon one day that a rather unusual silence fell over the house. Harry ventured out through the nursery and playroom to see if everyone was truly asleep. Ella was in her bed cuddling her teddy bear for her afternoon nap. The playroom was in quite a state of disarray and Harry took a moment to clean it up. It looked like Ella might have thrown another tantrum earlier. She was having a little trouble adjusting from being a single child to suddenly having to share her beloved parents with two very needy little babies.

From the playroom Harry entered the twins' nursery. Annabel was sound asleep in the crib looking like a little angel. Already they could tell that she would have beautiful dark red hair, most likely inherited from Harry's mother. It seemed fitting, seeing as she carried her late grandmother's name as well. Nicholas slept next to his sister as Harry and Severus had quickly learned that the two slept much more peacefully when they were together rather than in separate cribs. He would have black hair much like their older sister, but it looked as if he might have inherited Harry's messy locks.

Looking to the corner of the room Harry found Severus fast asleep in the rocking chair. His hair was messy and there was spit-up on his robes and an empty bottle dangling from his hand. Harry was loathe to wake him up, the poor man had been working himself to the bone taking care of the babies. Harry cast a levitation charm on his husband and carefully moved him into their bedroom, stripping off most of his clothing and laying him down under the blankets. Harry crawled in the bed beside him, smoothing down the slightly greasy hair and pressing a quick kiss to his lips. He wasn't all that tired having recently woken up from his own nap that Severus had insisted on, so instead he wrapped his arms tightly around his husband and relished the silence.

Severus woke with a groan an hour or so later. He looked up at Harry with confusion in his bloodshot eyes. Harry didn't speak at first, instead kissing his lover deeply. Severus didn't question the blessed silence and instead took the very rare chance to spend some alone time with his husband.

"You are going to go take a shower and have some lunch Severus." Harry said sternly, knowing it had been ages since the man had been able to do either. "Then you're going to get some more sleep while you let me worry about the kids. Okay?" Harry asked. Severus chuckled and pulled Harry down for another kiss.

"I will if you will." He said. Harry laughed and stood up, pulling Severus into the bathroom behind himself. If they were lucky the children would all stay asleep for another hour, and they took advantage of that time to indulge in a little intimacy.


End file.
